An international team of researchers from France, the United States, and Belgium, including Attilio Rivoldini of the Royal Observatory of Belgium has measured the rotation of Mimas by studying data provided by the spacecraft Cassini orbiting Saturn. Their study suggests its cratered surface hides one of two intriguing possibilities: either the moon’s frozen core is shaped something like a football, [...]
The days of open doors, which took place the weekend of 11 and 12 October 2014, was a success!
Throughout the weekend, more than 7,000 visitors were counted, including nearly 5,000 for Sunday afternoon. [...]
On 10 September, the Sun produced a powerful X-class (“eXtreme”) solar flare. The consequences for Belgium are limited for the time being. High-frequency (HF) radio-communication at the Earth’s dayside (USA and South-America) was probably disturbed. A plasma cloud was ejected into space and is expected to arrive at Earth on 12 September around 21:00UT (+/- 12 uur).
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Gaia is now ready to begin its five-year science phase.
Read all about it on the ESA webpages. [...]
The satellite Gaia observed asteroids: (54) Alexandra, (4997) Ksana and others.
Gaia asteroid observations will be processed using the software pipeline designed and implemented by Coordination Unit 4 (CU4) of the DPAC, running at the CNES processing centre (Toulouse, France).
Dr. Thierry Pauwels of the ROB is a member of CU4.
Information can be found on the web pages of ESA. [...]
Using ESA’s Herschel space observatory, astronomers, including Peter van Hoof, Griet Van de Steene and Martin Groenewegen, have discovered that the molecule OH+, vital for creating water exists in planetary nebulae, the burning embers of dying Sun-like stars.
Their results are the subject of an ESA press release. [...]
Two strong solar flares appeared on 10 June. The consequences for Belgium are limited for the time being.
More information can be found here. [...]
The ESA website shows the first spectra as observed by the Gaia satellite.
Astronomers of the ROB are involved in the reduction and calibration of these spectra. [...]
ESO’s Very Large Telescope Interferometer has revealed the largest yellow star — and one of the ten largest stars found so far. This hypergiant has been found to measure more than 1300 times the diameter of the Sun, and to be part of a double star system, with the second component so close that it is in contact with the [...]
If comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) survives its close pass to the Sun after November 28, it could become a very bright object in the morning skies in the beginning of december.
ISON is named for the Russia-based International Scientific Optical Network, in which the comet’s discoverers, Artyom Novichonok and Vitali Nevski, were participating when they observed the comet for the first [...]